My Life For Theirs
by GojyoLoverForever
Summary: The AX organization is gone, only Abel, Tres, Leon, and Hugue remain to continue on. War between terran and methuselah has been going for 10 years.  Follow the team on a wild adventure! This is my first try at 1st person, go easy, let me know how it works
1. Prolouge

Darkness now covers the lands in a thick shroud which seems to choke out all light and life. The warmth of the sun is something that has almost been forgotten. For years, humans have lived in hiding- taking refuge in underground cities-places that had once been the final strong hold of the Methuselah's. Tomorrow marks ten years since they had finally grown tired of man's oppression and led the revolt against humanity. Despite the best efforts of his Holiness, Pope Alessandro XVIII, the Methuselah's revolted and the humans refused to give co-existence a try. His Holiness was killed three years ago in the last real stand between the humans and vampires, as he begged them to end the mindless killings and bloodshed. It is still not known to this day by whose hands he died- though there are some who blame both terran and vampire for the death of that young man, who might have just been our last chance for peace.

Cardinals Caterina and Francesco are both sad tales to recount as well. Caterina, one who believed that peaceful co-existence was still possible, disappeared from the Vatican shortly after the death of her brother the Pope. It has been rumored that the leader of the human rebellion was the cause for her disappearance. The real tragedy of this is the fact that the head of the rebellion is her brother Francesco. Having grown tired of talks of peace between human and vampire, he left the Vatican and turned against the Methuselah's and anyone who got in his way- even family. Esther Blanchett… dear Esther, the Queen of Albion has been in hiding these last few years at our urging in order to ensure her safety. She protested of course – and quite loudly at that- but eventually saw that there was no other way if our dream of a united world was going to have a chance to survive and live on.

Out of the remaining members of the AX team, sadly only four od us remain to continue on the work we have fought and bled for.

Hugue de Watteau- Codename Sword Dancer. He has not changed all that much, despite the ten years that have passed. He still has a strong dislike for the vampires and feels that true peace and co-existence is not likely. However, he still lends his support when we are in need. He has been a valuable ally to us and as always a dear friend. He still searches for the murders of his family and clings to hope that his sister Anais is still alive somewhere.

Tres Iqus- Codename Gunslinger. He is still with us, though the long years of war have started to take their toll on the android. His optimal operating capacity is now reduced to 70. It is obvious he is finally starting to wear down as his auto-repair system is finally stretched beyond repair. Despite this, Tres remains a loyal and valuable member of our team and is still a powerful opposition to the enemy-whomever they may be.

Leon Garcia de Asturias- Codename Dandelion. He has one through the greatest changed over the years I think. Due to events over the past ten years and his devout service to the cause, Leon's remaining sentence of 800 years has now been officially removed- on the condition that he would never hold the title of Father. Now a free man, he has been by my side every step of the way and for that I have been grateful. Leon received word, a year ago today actually, of his daughter's death. I am not sure he has really come to grips with it yet.

That leaves me as the final member of the remnant of the AX Organization. Abel Nightroad- Codename Crusnik 02. Yes, I am still alive, though I have honestly wondered at times if everyone else would not be better off without me. I am the head of the underground AX team- the core of those who still believe in peace and want to see an end come to the fighting and bloodshed. As much as I hate to admit it, I must be honest to myself and God – I am losing my faith.

These are the players…. That is the stage…. Those are the lives… This is our story.


	2. The Story's Start

I sat at the small desk, hunched over my papers before me, squinting in the dim light of the single candle I had managed to save. The quill scratched over the parchment softly as I stopped and looked across the small room at my companions. Tres stood in the far corner leaning against the wall, his eyes shut in the closest the android ever came to actual sleep. I couldn't help but feel a little sad- the last ten years had taken such a toll on my friend- to the point that Tres was beginning to be more human than machine like, even to the point of feeling the effects of the cold climate we now lived in. For so many years Tres had given of himself, and now, after all this time, he was finally reaching his limit. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I looked at my other companion- Leon. He had been pacing for the last hour, and showed no signs of stopping. I knew how much Leon hated being still and not taking action, it reminded him too much of when he was in prison for those long years. Now that he was finally a free man, the last thing he wanted to do was sit inside the prison that their hide out had become recently. He had always been a rash and loud man but since he had received word of the death of his daughter, Missa, Leon had totally given in to his wild side. He had nothing left to live for and to him, his life held little value and it was no great loss if he was killed. I shook my head sadly, my thoughts drifting to the missing member of our group- Hugue. Always the wanderer, he had been gone for almost a week, but I had learned not to worry too much about him. The Sword Dancer would find his way back- he always did, and it always seemed to be just when he was needed the most. Setting the quill down I pushed the chair back and looked at Leon, who was still pacing. 

" Leon ... can you stand still for five minutes? You are going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep it up much longer my friend." 

Leon stopped and glared at me with those piercing eyes... those eyes that could be so cold and harsh and yet so warm and caring. Those were the eyes of a man haunted by his past and screwed by his future. . 

"It's like being in prison all over again, Abel. What do you want me to do? We can't go outside for fear of being seen… Tres isn't exactly a brilliant conversationalist, and there's some strange girl lying on the only bed in the room!" He ran his hands through his long dark hair, leaving it tousled, his voice dropped to almost a whisper. "If I stop pacing, I start thinking." Leon didn't need to tell me who he would be thinking about- it was Missa. Even just thinking her name I knew still tore a hole in his heart. He hadn't seen his daughter in years and his only memories of her were as a baby. Now, he would never see her as a grown woman, happy and healthy. He would never walk her down the aisle when she got married and never hold her children on his lap. Leon slumped against the wall, opposite Tres, and slid to the floor. He put his head in his hands, attempting to hide the tears in his eyes from me. I stood up and walked over to my dear friend friend. Tres looked at Leon with those bright, piercing eyes.

"Status report, Father Leon," he said in his typical fashion.

"Drop dead Tres," Leon muttered under his breath.

"Response not recognized," Tres responded.

Leon glared at Tres. "Stop calling me Father! That was stripped away from me after I was released from prison." 

Tres opened his eyes and I could see them glaze over as the computer inside of Tres updated this new information. 

"As per request, the title of Father has been deleted in Leon Garcia de Asturias's personal file." Tres spoke in his deep monotone voice, his eyes back to the odd gold color that was normal for him. I watched as Tres leaned against the wall again, seeming to be asleep, but hearing everything around him. 

"Its airtight Tres, I'll handle it" I said with a slight smile. 

"Affirmative" Tres said as he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes again. 

I sat there on the floor next to my friend, having n idea what to say to Leon .For several long minutes I sat there in silence and then grinned as a thought crossed my mind. 

"Quite the adventure we had here recently no?" 

The last 12 hours had been nothing short of madness. We had finally thought we had caught up to Cain, only to find more death and destruction left in his wake. Another village totally destroyed... no survivors, except for her. I still didn't know how we had found her exactly, though I had attributed it to the fact that it was Leon who had found her. Still refusing to admit the truth about his daughter, it made sense to me that he was more alert and focused don looking for survivors. My main focus was finding my brother, and Tres knew only what he was programmed to know. Whatever the reason was, we had found her and managed to bring her back to the hideout. She was a young girl, looked about 18-19 years of age. She had hair which was an interesting mix of blond, brown, and some silver strands. There was something else about her... something Leon and Tres had no way of knowing now, but I knew… however, now was not the time to discuss it, that time would come soon enough. I glanced over at Leon, hoping to distract him from the pain I knew he must be feeling.

I knew Leon was thinking about the other day and what had happened. The three of us had gotten a tip about Cain hiding in a village about three miles from where we were. Although Leon and I were tired, we picked up the pace and made it to the village quickly. We smelled the smoke before we arrived there. Leon was the first to make it, followed by Tres and brought up the rear. The smell of smoke was everywhere, even though the village had been burnt to the ground hours or maybe even days ago. Charred remains of houses littered the grounds and I could see charred bodies of people and animals strewn about. The smell was awful as Leon and I covered our mouths and noses, but it still wasn't enough to block out the smell. Tres drew his guns, unaffected by the carnage. 

"Father Abel." I looked at Tres as his eyes became gray and internal computer assessed the damage. Tres announced in his deep voice. "Damage report. No life forms detected. Loss of property at 100." Tres started walking through the main road of the village. "Report revised. One life form detected, but cannot assess where." Leon tore off through the rubble.

I gave chased after Leon , trying to catch up with the man as he tore through the rubble in his search. When I caught up, Leon was kneeling on the ground, a limp almost lifeless body in his arms. It was a young girl. My heart sank, even if she was still alive it was doubtful she would last much longer- night was coming and the temperatures would drop drastically- as they always did now when the little sun that shone was blotted out. 

That was then... now we were sitting in our small safe house. I took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall, my head lolling to one side slightly. I knew what I was about to ask would be hard on Leon , but it had to be asked.

"Leon... the girl we found tonight… she, she reminds you of someone doesn't she?" 

Leon 's eyes flashed for a moment then he looked down at his hand silently. 

"She reminds you of Missa, doesn't she?" 

Leon stared in front of him, his eyes unfocused. "I don't remember much about Missa. She was just a toddler when I was put in prison. I guess this girl would look like Missa, grown up." 

He dropped his head back onto the wall, rolling it to the side to meet my eyes…such pain, in those dark eyes.

"Hey Abel, do ya remember those kids we met on that little island?" 

I thought he could see a ghost of a smile on Leon 's face. "Oh yes… I remember them." 

Both of us were quiet for a bit, each lost in our own memories. Leon was the first to break the silence. 

"I wished when Missa was grown, she would find someone like that kid, Peter. He wanted to protect the girl he loved. I wanted Missa to find a love like that." 

Slowly I nodded in agreement and put a hand on my friend's shoulder and then stood, the long silver hair falling over my shoulder as I stood.

"Get some sleep my friend. I will take the first watch tonight."

Leon nodded gratefully. I knew he was exhausted, though he would never let me know that- he still had his pride, even if he really didn't have anything worth living for anymore. I walked back over to the desk and pulled the chair out and sat down. Tres was still where he had been before, leaning against the wall. Leon watched the one man he actually respected and looked up to as I bent back over the papers and continued writing. 

Leon looked over at the girl lying on the bad. She was breathing normally now. There were a few hours where it was questionable whether or not she would pull through and make it. Her lungs were filled with smoke and she had real trouble breathing when we first found her. She regained consciousness for a few minutes as we brought her back to the hideout, but she was still so out of it she had no idea what was going on. Leon wouldn't let anyone else touch her and he cleaned her up as best he could. She was wearing a simple blue dress with a black cloak covering her. He took off her cloak and covered her with it, a strange look coming over his face. He watched her for a minute or two, the same way a father would watch over his child while they slept. I remember watching this silent interaction between the two in wonder. A little while later, Leon 's eyes were beginning to close and I watched as he laid down on the hard cold floor in front of her bed. As he drifted to sleep, one arm bent under his head, he muttered something he probably didn't think anyone else heard.

"I'll protect her… with my life."

I kept watch as the slow hours passed that night. It was nights like these I wished for my old priest robes for extra protection against the cold nights. They had been long discarded however, because they drew far too much attention- and unwanted attention at that. All of us had traded in the traditional clothes we had worn for so long for more 'common' garbs. Leon 's new outfit consisted of black pants, a simple shirt and a black leather jacket. Tres, due to some programming glitch or make up, could not comprehend wearing anything other than what he had always worn, so he still wore his robes but had been convinced to wear a black clock over it to conceal it from wandering eyes. I looked at myself and shook my head; I was wearing a blue shirt, faded pants, and a black cloak, which was now draped over my shoulders. A shiver ran down my spin as I pulled the cloak tighter around my shoulders. My eyes drifted back to Leon, still lying on the cold wooden floor by the bed. It was then that I realized he did not have anything over than his jacket on. Standing quietly I walked over, knelt down, and covered my dear friend with my cloak. As I stood slowly, my eyes fell on the girl we had found as she still slept. 

"Leon…" I whispered softly and then made my way back to the desk and sat down, fighting off the sleep that was starting to take hold of me. At exactly the determined hour Tres woke and turned to Abel.

"Father Nightroad. It is my time for guard duty." 

A smile spread across my face as I fought back a yawn and looked at our android friend. 

"Very well Tres, thank you." 

Tres walked over and stood in front of the door, the one entrance into their hideout. I glanced over one last time at Leon lying on the floor beside the bed as I folded his arms on the small desk and was soon asleep. 

Tres performed a scan of the area; soft clicking could be heard coming from the machine. Finding nothing, he switched from search mode to guard mode. Anything heavier than 20 pounds would alert the russet haired android. His ears were programmed to hear a higher or lower pitch than any other human, and any sound out of the ordinary would alert him, too. His guns were in his holster; his hands on the black grips, ready to draw at any moment. Tres called up past data, you couldn't call them memories, of past missions with Father Abel Nightroad. He scanned through visual and audio files, looking for past mistakes on Father Nightroad's part. Tres had been programmed specifically to mesh with Abel's personality and going over past data, Tres could see patterns of behavior. This helped him determine the best way to protect Father Nightroad. He closed the data on Father Nightroad and brought up the data on Leon de Asturias. There wasn't much. He had asked Father Nightroad for data on Leon but Abel had stories to tell, instead of information. Tres put the data in and came to the conclusion that Leon was a dangerous man. Tres had put an alert on Leon 's file, automatically filing away any new information on Leon . Tres went into search mode. He searched every 30 minutes. His eyes went gray again and if the other occupants of the room had been awake, they would have heard the soft clicking again. Seeing and hearing nothing, Tres went back to guard mode. If he had been a real man, he would have relaxed at not finding anything out of the ordinary. 

The night passed slowly, Tres' watch was uneventful. Exactly 5 hours after he had started his watch he stepped away from the door and walked over to where Leon was laying on the floor by the bed, his left hand gripping the corner of the blanket the trailed down to the floor. Tres looked at the man for a moment- puzzled- he had never witnessed this kind of behavior in Leon before. He filed away the new data and visual scan for future analysis. Dropping to one knee, Tres reached out a hand and laid it on Leon 's shoulder- the flesh of his fingers cold from the lifeless metal and wires that made up his true form. Leon groaned, he had been awake for a little while but didn't want to get up. The android gave his shoulder a gentle shake. 

" Leon . Status report." Leon muttered something unrecognizable under his breath. 

"That is not a recognized response. Status Report." 

Leon lifted his head and forced his eyes open. 

"I'm awake Tres, thanks." 

"Affirmative."

Tres made his way back towards his spot in the corner, stopping to perform a quick check on Father Abel, filing away any new information. As he leaned back against the wall his eyes fell on the mystery girl who was still asleep in the bed. He had a file for her of course but there was little information he could file away other than the basics that even the two humans would know- he would have to wait to find out about her. Leon groaned as he staggered to his feet and stretched, his back popping loudly as he did so. He looked over at Tres who was beginning the standby process he went into and then to Abel who was snoring softly at the desk. 

Abel's face was relaxed in sleep. His long silver hair was free from the black ribbon he used to tie it back. It was now so long, it almost touched the floor. Leon made his way to the tiny window… dawn was beginning to break as the horizon started to change into various shades of dark blues and purples. He rested his head on the cool glass, his breathing fogging up the window pane underneath his nose. He scratched his chin, fingers going over the new facial growth. He didn't know how long he would be able to stay holed up like this. Leon Garcia de Asturias was known as a man of action and he loved every minute of it- he despised being forced into one place and hated not being able to take action when he felt it was time to move. His mind drifted to the first time he laid eyes on Sister Esther. He was freed from prison to look for them and he and Esther had literally run into each other. He saved her from a group of vampires that were determined to rape and kill her. That was the start of their friendship. She was so adorable, with her bright red hair and big eyes. Leon thought back to another time when he had been in battle and had been shot. The large cross he wore around his neck had saved his life. Leon smiled, thinking of the promise he made Esther give- that she would go on a date with him. He never did get his date with Esther... 

Turning from the window he looked at the young girl laying on the bed. Walking over, he watched her for a moment and pulled the thin blanket back up around her. Her breathing was easier but she was starting to stir slightly in her sleep, her fingers gripping the blanket slightly. Now and then she would moan softly in her sleep, as if she was trying to make herself wake up. Leon sat down carefully on the edge of the bed and gently put the back of his hand against her forehead. She wasn't hot which was good. He stared at her as she laid there, her eyes slowly fluttering open as she stared at the ceiling through blurry confused eyes.

"Where... where am I?" She muttered half to herself, half out loud. 

"You're safe." Leon spoke in a soft voice, husky and deep, still rough from sleep. The girl blinked her eyes a few times and rubbed them. She opened them, focusing on the large man sitting on her bed. She gave a little cry, pulling the blanket up around her neck and tried to sit up. She fell back on the bed, alarmed at how weak she was. She was trembling, not knowing what this man wanted. 

"My name is Leon Garcia de Asturias, but you can call me Leon. My friends and I found you after the attack on your village. You're safe with us, I promise." He wanted to pull her to him, like a father comforting a child, but he made no move towards her. His heart ached, seeing the fear in her eyes and he felt so weak and useless, being unable to comfort her. He wondered if she thought they were the ones that attacked and burned her home. 

She looked at Leon and saw the compassion in his eyes and she relaxed slightly 'If they really wanted me dead they would have left me there... we are way beyond the stage of taking captives for bartering...even someone, like me." She smiled slightly at Leon as she started to relax and her eyes drifted across the room, seeing Tres "asleep" and Abel still snoring softly at the nearby desk. Leon smiled back gently as he saw her relaxing and he breathed a small sigh of relief.

"That is Father Tres and Father Abel" he said as he pointed to his companions. "Now you know our names... what is yours?"

"Sasha." Her voice was rough from the smoke and it hurt to talk. "May I have some water?" Leon got up from the bed and poured her some water from a canteen. The water wasn't the best, a little stale tasting from sitting in a metal container, but it was refreshing to Sasha. She handed the glass back to Leon and asked for more. He poured the rest of the water into the glass and handed it to her. She drained the glass. Leon took the glass from her, set it on the table where Abel was sleeping and sat back down at the foot of her bed.

"Can you tell me what happened?" 

Sasha pushed herself up slightly so she wasn't laying totally flat on the bed anymore and looked at Leon then down at her hands as she fiddled with the folds in the blanket. "I don't remember how long ago it was…one day, two, maybe more... our village was attacked. They told us that we were traitors because we were helping to hide a crusnik in our village. But that was nonsense! Why would we hide a crusnik in our village when we..." Sasha's voice trailed off, dreading what she was going to have to reveal. 

"Because what?" Leon asked softly.

Sasha swallowed hard and closed her eyes. "Why would we hide a crusnik when we... were all Methuselah's ourselves."

She heard the breath catch in Leon 's throat and she turned her head away. She knew she wouldn't be able to hide it from them and they would have eventually found out.


	3. Resistance to Change

_Leon stared at her in disbelief. She couldn't be a…a Methuselah, not her. She didn't look like one, there were no fangs to be seen when she smiled at him. He looked at her and saw the sadness in her eyes and he slowly reached out a hand and put it on hers gently. She pulled her hand back and looked up at him with a mix of sadness and confusion on her face. _

"Its alright Sasha, I'm not afraid… and you shouldn't be either."

"You… you aren't afraid of me?" she asked, abrely above a whisper.

"No, I'm not."

_Leon smiled at her softly. Sasha looked up at him and smiled as she moved her hand back over to his. She didn't know what it was about him, but for some reason, she trusted this gruff wild looking man. She felt safe with him._

"I was born this way- both of my parents were vampires." Leon started to say something but Sasha stopped him "I know what you are thinking- that I do not look like one. Do you know much about the transformation a Methuselah goes through?"

_Leon shook his head slowly as he realized he knew very little about that part of a Methuselah's history, beyond the fact that they carried the mutation through birth and that there were various stages before the full effect took hold. _

"I am a Methuselah by birth, and the first dozen or so years were no different than any other Terran's would be. When we enter our teen years, the first changes start to take hold- in the form of exceptional gifts or abilities. For some, it is a heightened sense of sight or hearing, or maybe extreme stealth and speed. I have heard of some who develop advanced healing powers and mental capabilities or even telepathic powers. It is during the teen years that most of us discover what our individual gift is, we develop it, and perfect it."

"So what is your ability?"

"Believe it or not, I have the gift of healing. Unfortunately, it only works on others, not myself- so it looks like you three will be stuck taking care of me."

_Leon laughed softly, the first real laugh he had in months._

"I also have advanced memory capabilities- especially people's faces. I can remember almost every face I have ever seen up close and I ca remember most of their names as well."

"Sasha, could you remember someone if given a name or description?"

"If I have met them before yes, I probably could."

"We are looking for someone… we have been after him for the last ten years now and…"

" Leon …"

_Leon stopped short and turned towards the desk. Father Abel was awake, for how long now he did not know. Abel adjusted his glasses on his nose and turned towards Leon as he tied his long silvery hair back in the black silk ribbon. Sasha stared at the silvery strands as they fell down past his shoulders and down his back, over the back of the chair. His eyes were cloudy as he looked at her._

"Sasha, I'd like to introduce you to Father Abel, the leader of our little dysfunctional group."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said softly.

_Abel nodded and smiled as he moved his chair over closer to the bed._

"Please, continue telling us about yourself, Sasha."

_Sasha saw the smile on his face but knew what he wanted- he wanted to hear more about her being a Methuselah. Sasha swallowed hard, feeling three pairs of eyes on her, watching her closely. She looked down at her hands a moment, trying t gather her thoughts. _

"It is after the teen years that the true change begins. It is during this stage-young adulthood- that most begin to develop what you Terrans call vampire characteristics."

"Meaning the craving of Blood," Abel said softly- no judgment or harshness in his voice- just a simple statement.

"You said most begin to develop… what about the rest?" Leon asked softly.

"Each individual Methuselah develops and matures at a different rate- some in the lat tees, other snot till their mid to late twenties Also, there are several outside triggers that can cause the change to occur at an earlier time, such as a tragic event or an extreme illness."

"And have you…. Experienced this change yet?" Leon asked softly as he looked at Sasha with kind yet firm eyes.

"No…" Sasha whispered. "I haven't."

_Leon seemed to sigh in relief and relax some, but I was still uneasy. Having a Methuselah with us who had not yet experienced the craving if blood, was much like having a time bomb. Some Methuselahs are strong enough to stay off the cravings and never drink a drop of blood. Sadly, I knew all too well that their lives are extremely short as they basically starve to death. Others find alternatives to feeding on the humans and rather target animals. Others still lose all control with those first cravings and are full form vampires that crave human blood. _

_Leon glanced over at Tres, who had been standing silently listening. They both turned and looked at me and we looked at Sasha. In Tres' eyes I could see only cold emptiness, as if he saw only data and facts rather than an actual person sitting on the bed. I knew my face mirrored the conflicting things racing inside me – concern and fear, mixed with compassion and bitterness. It was Leon who surprised us. In his eyes there was understanding, sadness, and genuine concern. Sasha slowly looked down at her hands as she started speaking again._

"I wont put you all in danger anymore. You have do so much for me already… you saved my life, and for that I am grateful. I do not want to put you in any more danger."

"Sasha, what are you saying?" Leon asked as he stared at her in surprise.

"I'm going to leave… I do not want to bring any more pain and suffering to you."

_Leon couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sasha had just told them that she didn't want to put them in any danger after they had done so much for her and that she was going to leave. He stared at her then to me and then Tres. _

"You will do nothing of the sort, Sasha" he said somewhat firmly. "You just rest and keep getting better. Abel, Tres and I have some things we need to talk about."

_Sasha looks at him questioningly and he winked at her and she smiled. As Sasha drifted back to sleep Leon started for the door. _

" Leon its freezing outside! Couldn't we just talk in here and..."

Leon grabbed my cloak and drug me out of the room. Tres followed behind slowly and followed us outside. It was indeed frigid outside. The climate was so different now after 10 years of war- some places resembled the aftermath of the Armageddon battle many, many years before. I stood there shivering, as clouds of smoke came from my mouth. Leon started pacing while Tres stood still just outside the door.

"What is it you wish to discuss Leon ?" he asked in that same deep monotone voice he always had.

Leon paced outside. He reminded meof a lion in a cage, fierce and untamed.

"Didn't you hear what Sasha just said? She's a damn Methuselah, Abel!" Leon had considered the Methuselah his enemies for so long, but yet, he felt sympathetic towards them, too. "Tres?" Leon turned to the android. "Are we alone out here?" Tres one eye stayed the odd gold color, while the other turned brilliant red. He scanned the area. "Positive. We are alone." Leon sighed in relief. "Well, Abel? Now what?"

I had my back to Leon as I gazed out across the broken and desolate landscape that stretched out before us. The sun was rising and the air was starting to warm slowly now. My hands were at my sides as I looked out towards the sun, the breeze blowing the silvery locks.

"I knew she was a Methuselah from the moment I saw you picking her out of the rubble, Leon ." Leon started to say something but I held up my hand and silenced him, still turned away from my companions. "Do you really need to ask how I knew? Yes? I am a Crusnik, Leon... a vampire who feeds on the blood of other vampires. I know the scent of Methuselan blood- even before the full transformation takes effect."

"Why then did you spare her, Father Abel?" Tres asked, and I went silent for a moment as he thought of why he had spared her.

"I spared her because... she has done no harm to us. We have to remember that not all Methuselahs are evil or mean us harm. Some want peaceful co-existence as much as we do. Some merely want to live their lives free of the control and threat the Terrans have always forced upon them. Most just want to live their lives. The ones we are after are not like them- we cannot forget that being vampire alone does not automatically make you evil. I do not think Sasha is that kind of vampire."

Leon rolled his eyes. "I know all that!"

I stared at Leon with shock on my face. "You knew I was a Crusnik?"

Leon scratched the back of his head. "Well, ok, not that part." Leon mumbled under his breath. "I knew there was something weird about you, I just couldn't put my finger on it."

"I'm weird? At least I don't sexually harass every woman I meet! Poor sister Esther," I moaned. "She trusted you and all you did was fling her around, like she was some kind of plaything!" My voice started to rise- this was one thing that had always annoyed me about Leon , and now I finally was able to say it. "And you had the nerve to ask her out for a date! Until morning! And you roar away on that cursed bike, like a demon out hell!"

Both of us were glaring at each other, fists ready to fly, when Tres interrupted.

"Father Abel, I hear something

"What is it, Tres?" I whispered, the fight ending like that.

A doe stepped out of the forest.

"A deer." Leon covered his eyes with his hand. "I hate you sometimes, Tres."

"As I am unable to feel emotions, I cannot reciprocate your feelings."

I could see Leon 's eyelid twitch. If he wasn't sure his hand would break, I'm sure he would dearly love to punch the android sometimes.

"Back to Sasha, Abel. How are we going to hide her while she undergoes the change?"

"I'm sure we can work something out."

"Yeah, like what genius?"

"I'm going to stay with her until we see how she reacts to the transformation."

Leon stared at me as if I had just told him I was going to go to the moon. Why was I going to stay with her? Then the thought hit him. I was going to stay with her because I was the only one who would be able to do anything if she did go crazy after the transformation. I was a crusnik... Leon put the pieces together and realized what I was thinking.

"You have to be kidding me Abel! You can' be serious!"

" Leon , there is no other way. This is the only way i can see us having a chance if things go wrong. Do you have any brilliant ideas you would like to share with us?"

Leon slowly shook his head. He didn't look at me at all. It was like ee was afraid what I would see in his eyes. I knew what he was thinking - That girl needed him and he wasn't sure if things went wrong and I had too take her life, that he would be able to hold back, attacking or even trying to kill me.

"Can Cain sense her when she transforms to a Methuselah?"

I sighed softly. "I don't know. There are still things about my brother I do not know. But I don't think he will be able to sense her- at least not from a distance. He is a Crusnik like me but he is not the same- his physical strength may be greater than mine but in many other areas he is at a lesser level."

Slowly I walked over to Leon and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry my friend." Leon didn't answer. "I'm sure she will come through it fine.. I don't think we have to worry about her."

"How long before she transforms?"

"It could be days or weeks or even months. But, I will ask her some questions when she's feeling better and I should have a better idea of the time then." I looked off into the forest and then glanced at Leon . "Sasha needs to eat and we need more water. Leon , since your weapons are quieter than Tres's gun, could you go hunting for deer or something? If you want, I can send Tres with you for protection."

"No, he would just crash around and scare anything off. Right, big guy?"

Tres looked at Leon .

"As an official AX officer, I am programmed with stealth mode and am able to move silently."

I saw Leon 's eye twitched again. Sarcasm was totally lost on Tres. I fought to hide a laugh behind my hand. Leon went into the hideout, checked on Sasha and seeing she was still asleep, grabbed the canteens and left. He took of into the forest as Tres and I went back inside. I was glad to get out of the cold, although it wasn't much warmer inside the cabin.

Tres followed me back into the cabin and took his normal stance at the door. I sat at the desk taking out the quill and parchment from one of the drawers and started to write. I knew about Methuselah's and knew about the changes they went through. All of the obvious signs pointed to Sasha undergoing the final change soon. She was of the normal age for it, and after the shock of having her village destroyed and family and friends lost that would also make it more likely that it would occur sooner rather than later. I jotted down a few notes and things on the parchment then sat back and sighed.

"Father Abel. Status report" Tres said from his spot at the door.

"I'm fine Tres" I said with a sigh.

"Response does not match visual scan, but response is logged."

I had to laugh as I shook me head and turned back to the parchment. Sasha still slept nearby on the bed, fairly warm and safe under the covers. I looked at her and suddenly realized Leon 's coat was still wrapped around her thin form.

_Leon walked through the woods. There was enough light to see by and he could see tracks of animals all over the place. Even though this place was tiny and reminded him of a prison cell, he was glad they found it. Game would be plenty and there was a clear stream nearby for water. He gave a little involuntary shiver. He had left his leather coat behind to keep Sasha warm. He stopped under a huge leafy tree, waiting. He pulled the discs from his wrists and spun them a bit. They were made of steel and razor sharp. The only sounds he could hear were the birds and the sound of running water from the stream. Several long minutes went by. He was poised, ready to strike at any minute. His ears picked up the sound of rustling leaves from his right. Not loud enough to be a deer, but maybe a rabbit. He stopped spinning the discs on his fingers. A minute later, a fat rabbit crossed several yards in front of him. Quick as ever, Leon let one of the discs fly; the rabbit never knew what hit him. Leon remained patient and soon a second rabbit came out. He got that one too. He left his place from under the tree and went to get the rabbits. He took them to the stream and after filling the canteens, gutted and skinned the rabbits. He washed their carcasses in the stream. He had passed a bush with ripe black berries on his way into the forest. He would have to come back for those after he dropped off the rabbits. Leon made his way back to the cabin, wishing he would have caught more than 2 rabbits. He hoped it would be enough for the three of them. After all, Abel looked thin, but he could eat like a man twice his size._

_Tres alerted Father Abel of Leon's approach. Meeting him outside Abel took the rabbits from Leon. _

"Where are you going?" I asked as Leon turned and head back towards the woods.

"There's something else I still have to get.. a nice little treat for all of us" he said with a slight grin.

I must have looked puzzled because Leon just laughed as he grabbed the small leather pouch and started back into the woods.

_He found the small black berry patch and carefully cleaned the bush of the ripe berries. Things like this were a real treat these days- and they could all do with a little treat like this. When the pouch was full he sighed and started back towards the cabin. Leon stopped for a moment, gazing around him as he let the memories take over for once. He thought about his daughter not lost, he thought about the other members of the AX organization that they had lost... and he thought about those he was with now- Hugues, wherever he was now, Father Abel, and that annoying yet also endearing android Tres. Leon shook his head, thinking about the past did little to fix the problems of today- he had to keep looking to the future if he was going to survive. And he had to survive- for her._

While Leon was gone, I continued writing in my journal. It was then that I noticed Sasha's breathing changed. At first, I thought she was still trying to get the smoke out of her lungs but when I looked closer at her, I noticed she was sweating. Her breathing was labored and when I felt her head, she was burning up. Rushing to the door, I stuck my head out, looking for Leon .

" Leon ! Hurry, something's wrong with Sasha!"

Leon came running out of the woods and pushed past me roughly to get to the woman he was quickly thinking of as a daughter. He dropped the leather pouch on the table and went to Sasha. He felt her head. She felt hot and she was sweating profusely. Her hands clenched the blankets and she moaned in pain. Leon bent over her and shook her gently.

"Sasha! Can you hear me?" She opened her eyes and I saw Leon stand up, backing away from the bed as if he had just seen a ghost. Her irises were blood red, a sign that the change had started. I moved beside Leon and looked at Sasha. Her eyes were wild with pain. Leon couldn't say anything; the words wouldn't go past his throat. He just stared at Sasha. He watched as I knelt down beside Sasha. Her eyes were wild, her breathing short and ragged, and she cried out in pain gripping Leon 's jacket, which still covered hjer.

"Not her... not her..." Leon muttered to himself. I had to snap him out of it, I couldn't control Sasha if he lost it as well.

" Leon !" I said firmly "Snap out of it! Leon ! I need you to stay focused alright?"

"Right, sorry." Leon muttered as he pulled his eyes away from Sasha and looked at me hands were shaking. It was killing him to see her in this much pain.

_His thoughts went unwillingly back to Missa and he hoped she didn't go through anything like this when she was killed. Leon felt so helpless, like all eh could do was stand there and watch as she suffered. For the first time that he could remember Leona actually wished he could trade places with Tres. He glanced over at the android who stood by the door- watching with cold emotionless eyes. Leon felt a mix of anger hate and longing as he looked at the android. Anger at how calm he was when Sasha was suffering so much. Hate over the fact that he was dying inside while Tres didn't even seem fazed at all. And longing- the longing to not be affected the way he was being affected now... Leon wished, in some way, that he could shut himself off and never feel any connection to any other human. But he knew it wasn't possible, he was human- he wasn't a machine like Tres- and while in some cases Tres might have the advantage, Leon ultimately pitied his friend, for he knew Tres would never know what it was like to love someone or be loved by someone. Leon slowly approached the bed again and sat down on the edge of the bed opposite where Abel was still kneeling, waiting for Abel to give him his next instructions._


	4. The Sacrifice

"Hold her tightly to you," Abel said as he moved back from the bed somewhat and started rummaging through one of his bags.

_Leon looked at Abel, confused at that instruction. _

"I'm afraid that she might hurt herself once the worst pain comes and you are much stronger than me."

_Leon's heart sank, he had hoped this might be the worst of it. He moved his coat and blanket off of Sasha and gathered her up in his arms gently. She clung to his neck, like a child who was scared and hurt. Leon sat on the bed, his back against the wall as he whispered in her ear_.

"I'm here, Sasha. It's Leon. Do you remember me?"

He could feel her tears, hot on his neck as she nodded, her breath catching in her throat as she tried to talk.

"It hurts…Leon. It hurts so bad."

"I know...I know."

_Leon began to rock her gently as he brushed the hair back from her wet face. A sharp stab of pain went down her spine and she tried to arch away from him, but Leon held on tightly. He looked up at Abel who was leaning over the desk mixing things he had gathered from his bag. _

"How long does this last?" Abel could hear the agony in his voice.

"The worst pain is several hours and then she will be unconscious for two days." Abel's voice trailed off. "And then it comes back, even stronger and more painful, but that doesn't last as long as this time."

_Sasha was weeping against Leon's shoulder and he felt his heart sink even further into his stomach, if that was even possible. Several hours of this, and then two days of waiting for it to repeat itself? He looked at Abel and had to turn his head away. Sasha was sobbing against his shoulder, clinging to him tightly. _

"Leon..." she gasped. "Make it stop... please... I don't want this..."

_Her voice trailed off as she relaxed for a moment, and then another wave of pain washed over her as she arched back hard, her body shaking. Leon held her tightly as she fought to get free of his grasp. _

"Sasha, some on Sasha, its me, Leon."

_Hours went by. Abel paced the small room in worry and Leon held onto Sasha, refusing to let go of her. His arms ached so badly but he never loosened his hold on her. Leon had some rather ugly looking bruises forming on his arms and legs where she had lashed out against the pain. He had barely flinched or even thought of letting go- he just pulled her closer during those times when she lashed out. Abel glanced at his watch. Sasha had been like this for four hours, when all of a sudden, she let out a blood curdling scream, her body jerking violently, and then she went limp in Leon's arms. At first, Leon thought he had hurt her, but she had passed out. His arms shaking, he slowly loosened his hold on her, motioning for Abel to take her. Abel carefully lifted her from Leon's arms and cradled Sasha as she sat down on the bed. Leon got up off the bed and went to the door. _

"I'm going hunting…" he said, his voice trembling.

"Negative. We have enough food. There is no need."

_Leon ignored Tres and opened the door, shutting it softly behind him. _

"Father Abel, I do not understand the need for sustenance at this time."

_Abel tore his eyes away from Sasha's face. He knew why Leon couldn't stay, and he would never dream of stopping him. The man had just been through hell. _

"It's fine, Tres. It's a human thing."

_Tres filed the confusing data away and went back to guard mode. _

_Leon walked into the forest, not seeing anything. He had basically just watched a girl die and in a few days, she would be reborn as a Methuselah. He staggered to a tree and sat down, his back against it. He put his face in his hands and wept. Leon would never let Tres or Father Able see him weak like this- but he was weak. The man who had done time for killing hundreds, he was reduced to tears by what he had just gone through in the last five hours. His body was sore, his head was throbbing, and his heart was cold with fear. Even if Sasha did survive the next two days and final hours of pain, would she live much longer after that or would Abel have to do the unthinkable and kill her after all they had gone through? In no more than 48 hours that girl had become like a daughter to him- the daughter he had never really known, and now he had to face the very real possibility that she would die, just like Missa did. Leon clenched his hand into a fist and slammed it into the trunk of the tree and let out a blood chilling cry as he sank to his knees. How long he knelt there he did not know, but the tears finally ran dry as his breathing slowly returning to something that resembled normal. He staggered to his feet, his head in his hands and slowly started to make his way back to the small cabin._

I sat on the bed the entire time Leon was gone, holding Sasha. I was having such a hard time letting her go. Why? I had tried putting her on the bed, several times, but each time I tried to set her down, when I stood up I still had Sasha in my arms . It was like they had a will of their own. Finally, I just gave up and sat where Leon had sat, Sasha unconscious in my arms. I shifted her until she was more comfortable, or at least as comfortable as I could make her, and watched her face. Leon came in, taking in the scene before him, but I didn't notice Leon come in, I was too absorbed in Sasha's face. I saw Leon smile as I finally looked up at him, and I wondered what that look was for.

The next 2 days were going to be some of the hardest either of us had gone through. Leon and I took turns keeping watch over Sasha, though neither of us slept much out of fear and concern for her- and ourselves. I had been praying the entire time that there would be some warning before Sasha entered the final stage of the transformation into a Methuselah. I stood, watching the sun go down through the tiny window. The window was dirty and didn't let much sun in but it also gave us some privacy. I was nervous about tonight. Sasha had been unconscious for almost 48 hours and soon, the final part of the change would take place. I tried to write in his journal to keep my mind off things, but my thoughts were in such turmoil, I couldn't form a coherent sentence. Tres was on guard duty still. How I wished I could be cold and calculating like Tres, given the fact that I was no more human than Tres. However, I knew I just wasn't like that anymore. With a sigh, my attention turned to Leon who still lept sitting up on the bed, Sasha in his arms. If Sasha woke up suddenly and thrashed about, Leon wanted to be right there to hold her. And there was also the thought that kept crossing my mind, that just in case things might go wrong, to protect Sasha from me. My stomach sank at the thought of having to destroy this lovely woman.

Leon's head rested against the cold stone wall as he sat on the bed, Sasha held gently in his arms, his coat wrapper around her. I knew his mind was racing even as he slept- doing battle with itself. One side would be telling him that he would protect Sasha no matter what, even if it meant killing me. The other side would be screaming at him how could he kill his friend over a woman he barely knew? Leon gasped slightly as he snapped awake. He looked down at Sasha who was still motionless, though her breathing was a little deeper and stronger now, as if she was starting to wake from a sleep. His eyes drifted over to me and the dark black eyes met my smoky grey ones- both of us reading the pain in each other's eyes. Tres maintained his watch against the wall, the silent observer to our little problem.

Leon felt her head to see if she had a fever. That had been one of the first signs she had begun to change and we had wondered if she would spike another fever. I could see the rapid movement of her eyes behind her closed eyes, and I wondered if she was dreaming and if she was, what were her dreams. Were they pleasant dreams or nightmares of things to come? I gave Leon a trembling smile. Leon was so exhausted that he could only nod his head. Sasha sighed in her sleep, her fingers starting to twitch and her mouth began to move, as if she was trying to speak but nothing would come out. Leon held her gently.

"Sasha, can you hear me?" he asked softly.

As the minutes passed, Sasha started to groan in pain her body started to tremble. Leon and I looked at each other and he nodded as he wrapped her arms around her like he had two days earlier, trying to prepare himself for what was going to come.

"Is she going to be ok Abel?"

"I don't know Leon… I don't know."

How I wished I could honestly tell him this was all going to turn out fine in the end. I would have given just about anything to be able to say that.

"Leon, get her hands down… before she hurts you or herself."

Leon nodded and shifted her in his arms and held her close. Now her arms were folded up and trapped between them. Slowly Sasha calmed, that wave of pain passing as she relaxed slightly in Leon's arms, moaning softly. She reached a hand out to touch Leon's face. Her eyes were fluttering open. Leon looked at me, his broad shoulders relaxing. Maybe this would be alright after all. I had to admit I had never actually seen a Methuselah being "born", I was just repeating what had been passed down through the ages.

I glanced at my watch a few minutes later as Sasha stared moaning again It had been half an hour, things were probably going to get worse before this was all over. As if signaled by dome unseen sign, Sasha let out a blood chilling cry as powerful convulsions shook her body. Her hands clutched at Leon's jacket as she cried out in pain. Leon fought to hold onto her. I could tell he was getting tired already, his arms were shaking from fatigue, or was it from something else? As he looked up at me I shook my head slowly.

"I know Leon, it's not you. It is the strength of the Methuselah's."

"So what now? We still have a while yet to go…"

Walking over to the bed I sat down and took Sasha away from Leon. At first he wouldn't let go, but finally he did, his hands pulling back slowly as he stared at her. He stood there beside the bed as I gathered her into my arms. A few hours later, Sasha opened her eyes all the way. Leon's breath caught in his throat as he took in the blood red eyes which held an unnatural hunger in them. She bared her teeth at him and hissed. He could see her wickedly sharp fangs and he was frozen in place, too in shock to move. Leon had moved to the edge of the bed and was sitting by her head, gently stroking her hair. He had been fine there before, but now he was in danger there. She lunged for his throat, her hands snaking behind his head, forcing his throat near her mouth.

Leon gripped her wrists and fought to pull her hands away so he could get free. She was much stronger than she had been before, she almost as strong as he was- even after just having 'awoken'. I struggled to hold her back while Leon struggled to get free. When he was finally freed, Sasha fell back in my arm with a cry, thrashing wildly as I held her down on the bed by her shoulders. I glanced up at Leon who was gasping for breath and shaking slightly. I knew what I had to do… God I hated it.

_Leon's eyes met Abel's and he gasped- He watched as Father Abel's eyes started to turn red, as even redder than Sasha's. _

"Abel! No, not yet! Just wait... Abel!"

_Abel felt Leon pulling at his shoulders and he tried to get out of the larger man's grasp. Tres's monotone voice could be heard above the noise made by the two men. _

"She is changing and is a danger to you, Father Abel. I await your command to commence shooting."

_Leon heard the awful sound of Tres drawing his guns._

"Tres, no!"

_Tres ignored him, only looking at Abel. _

"Abel, damn it! Stop!" "She's not Missa, Leon!"

_Abel hated to say it, but if it kept Leon safe, it was worth the pain he caused. _

"Missa is dead Leon! She's dead…"

_Leon pulled back his fist, aiming at Abel's head._

"I couldn't save Missa, but I'm sure as hell going to save Sasha!"

_Leon froze as he felt cold steel against his temple. He forgot about Tres for just a moment and the android took advantage of that. _

"Leon Garcia de Asturias, please back away from Father Abel."

_Leon stood his ground. Abel had Sasha under somewhat of control. She was no longer lunging at them, just laying there, hissing at them. Her eyes were still crazed._

"I do not wish to terminate you, Leon. Father Abel Nightroad is a Crusnik and is able to

control this situation."

_Tres's deep voice was closer to Leon, telling him the android had moved when his attention was elsewhere. _

"Help her, Abel. For God's sake, help her," Leon almost sobbed as he stared at Sasha.

"If you let go of me, I might be able to do something to help her!"

_Abel's voice was deep and somewhat cold. With the gun still at his temple, Leon slowly let go of Abel and took a step back. Slowly Tres pulled the gun back, but did not return it to the holster. Leon stood there and watched, the words Abel had said ringing in his ears. _

"She's not Missa... Missa is dead." His own words also echoed in his ears "I couldn't save Missa but I'm sure as hell going to save Sasha!"

_That's what he had said just five minutes ago, yet here he was stepping away, feeling certain he was going to watch Abel kill her. Sasha lay on the bed, still thrashing and trying to free herself. Now and then she would arch off the bed and cry out in pain, hissing at Abel, but he held her firmly down on the bed. Abel was muttering something under his breath, his eyes closed, as he held Sasha down. _

"CRUSNIK 02 LOADING. LIMITATION AT 40 ACKNOWLEDGED."

_Leon watched as his friend of many years changed in front of him. Leon had heard of Crusnik's but had never seen one up close. They had been the Vatican's dirty little secret, talked about in whispers, feared, and often misunderstood. There was not much that separated them from vampires- in reality they were vampires themselves. Abel's eyes became blood red, even deeper red than Sasha's. His long silver hair came free from the black ribbon he used to tie it behind his head. Defying gravity, it became a silver crown around his head. Long pointed fangs came down over his bottom lip and his face lost the gentle look of Father Abel Nightroad and became like something in a bad dream. A deep fire burned behind those eyes, and his very presence in the room, caused a chill to run through Leon's entire body. So this… this was the real Abel Nightroad_

_Abel held Sasha down as she slowly started to relax; she lay on the bed still and quiet. Slowly Abel pulled his arms back and looked down at her. She was moaning softly, her eyes closed, and her body was trembling slightly. Then suddenly, her eyes few open and with surprising speed she grabbed hold of Abel's wrist and pulled it to her mouth. Abel pulled back hard. Then, his eyes meeting Leon's briefly, he loosened his pull, allowing her to pull his wrist to her mouth. _

"Abel!" Leon cried out as he watched in horror.

_Sasha held his wrist to her mouth as she opened her mouth wide. Biting down hard, the white fangs piercing the skin, she clung to Abel's arm. Abel cried out, feeling the fire rush up his arm- answering the question of whether a Crusnik could even be bitten by a vampire. Tres drew his guns, prepared to shoot. Abel gasped slightly and shook his head. _

"No Tres.. It's alright."

_She had her fangs into him and was drinking as if she was parched beyond satisfaction. Sasha was making whimpering noises, as if she couldn't get enough of Abel's blood. Abel was sitting on the edge of the bed, whispering something to Sasha, the back of his fingers stroking Sasha's cheek. _

_Each second seemed like an hour and every minute like a day. Finally, Abel gently pulled her back and pulled his wrist from her mouth. Two round holes were clearly visible on his wrist. Sasha groaned softly and struggled but stopped as Abel gently pushed her back onto the bed. Slowly, he stood, still looking down at her, his breath a little short and ragged._

"Abel! What… what the hell…"

_Abel turned and looked at Leon with a sad smile on his face._

"There is an old ledged among the vampires, that if one ever drinks the blood of a Methuselah, then their craving for blood will be gone forever."

_Abel turned and started to walk away from the bed, towards the desk but stopped. His head was throbbing and he couldn't see straight. He tried to say something but no words would come out as Abel felt himself start to fall. He knew someone had caught him, and figured it was Leon, but he wasn't sure…_


	5. Newcomer

_Sasha sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her hands. It had been three days, three days since she had woken as a Methuselah and learned of what Abel and Leon had done for her. She felt ashamed of what she was, sorry for what she had done, and unable to ever repay them. She sighed softly and looked up. I sat in the chair by the desk and Leon was sitting on the floor, his back against the bed. Tres was at his normal spot by the door. It had been three days, their food was running low again, and Leon again brought up the idea of them moving on to a new place. Sasha remember a little of the last few days- she had awoken to find me asleep on a makeshift bed on the floor where Leon and Tres were caring for the both of us as we recovered. We had talked about her, what I had done, and what decisions we had before us. I Sasha felt terrible- we had risked so much to save her and in the end she had attacked us and knowing that I was willing to sacrifice my own blood for her- it had to be a big adjustment for her. She sat there on the bed as Leon looked up from his spot on the floor._

"You know Abel, it's been several weeks we have been holed up here. I think its time we were moving on- if we are going to find Cain we need to be actively looking."

"So you want to go running around out there so we can bump into him?" I asked in an incredulous voice.

"No Abel but I also don't want to just sit here waiting for him to find us!"

_Sasha watched us. We fought so often and yet she knew we cared about each other deeply and were intensely loyal to one another- as well as the other members of the group- Tres and this Hugue we spoke of whom she had not yet met._

" Leon is correct. Moving to a different location will confuse our enemies. Supplies are getting low. Fresh game has been reduced by 37."

_Leon gave a cocky grin at Tres' response. _

"I guess that means Tres is on my side."

"Negative. I do not take sides." Tres looked at Leon . "I am only stating facts."

_Leon rolled his eyes. Sarcasm was wasted on Tres. He looked at Sasha, sitting on the bed. She wouldn't meet his eyes, her fingers were twisting the blanket, and she was nervously chewing her bottom lip. _

"Sasha, we will protect you while we find a new place. We found this place quickly and with Tres, he can scan far away for people, so we can avoid them if that's what's bothering you."

_I watched Sasha silently from my spot at the desk. She had avoided talking and looking at us for the past few hours, like she was hiding something or trying to avoid something._

_Sasha shook her head slightly that no, that was not what was bothering her. _

"Then what is it?" Leon asked as he looked over at her.

_I too watched her closely but he had an idea of what was bothering her. Sasha was silent for a moment and then she shut her eyes tightly, turning her head away from us._

_Leon closed his eyes. He had no idea that was bothering her, making her so quiet. He thought maybe she was frightened of them. He was a big man, with broad shoulders and long, wild black hair. And he was rough around the edges. Tres was a machine and he doubted that she had ever met anything like him before and myself, well...I was the most powerful of us all. Leon and I both wondered how much of her transformation she remembered. He had held her for several hours while she writhed in pain, sometimes so tightly, he was surprised she didn't have any bruises. When I had transformed into Crusnik form, even Leon was a little scared of me. Maybe that was what was bothering Sasha._

"I... I am nothing but a threat to you all. You have given so much to help me... and in the end, I... I nearly killed you. I cant live with that..." her voice trailed off as tears she had been fighting back for days now finally started to fall. "I am nothing but a monster" she whispered softly, her head still turned away from them.

_Slowly I went over to the bed and sat down, putting my hand under her chin, making her look into my eyes. I felt such deep compassion for this woman. In the span of a few days, her entire world had been upended and everything she had even known was gone or changed forever- I couldn't help but feel compassion towards her._

"You are not a monster, Sasha," I whispered softly to her.

_Sasha looked up at me…. her tear filled eyes meeting mine as I smiled gently. _

"Being Methuselah alone does not make one evil, nor does it make them a monster. Humans can be some of the most wicked and violent of creatures, yet all are not that way. It is the way we decide to live our lives, the path we walk, and the choices we make that determines whether we are good or evil." Abel gently stroked her cheek. "You are not a monster Sasha. There is nothing monstrous about you, take it from someone who knows what it is like to be one."

_I smiled at her softly as she looked from me, to Leon and then to Tres. _

"Status report, Sasha" Tres said, his voice somehow a little softer and quieter than normal.

"I'm fine... Tres" she whispered softly, her eyes getting lost once more in the depths of Father Abel's eyes.

Leon watched the unspoken communication between Abel and Sasha. Maybe it would be better if he and Tres left so she could talk to Abel in private. She must have a lot of questions about being a Methuselah and Leon was sure she would rather he and Tres weren't there.

"Come on, Tres. Let's go shopping for dinner."

"That query does not make sense. There are no stores around for 10.2 miles."

"Just shut up and come with me. I need your sense of direction to find our dinner."

_Leon turned to me as he grabbed his pack off the bed and headed for the door. _

"We'll be back in a bit."

_Leon shrugged into his black leather jacket and threw Tres's cloak to him. _

"I do not understand why I am required to go. In your previous hunting expeditions, you had a success rate of 85.1 in retrieving game."

_If Tres was able to speak in anything but his deep monotone voice, I was sure we would hear confusion at Leon's actions. Sasha watched as the two men left, leaving the two of us in the small room alone. She was silent a moment and then looked at him. _

"I never got a chance to properly thank you for what you did for me... I mean the risk you took to..." she was rambling again. She hated when she did that. She fell silent and fiddled with the fringe of her cloak absent mindedly. Abel laid his hands over hers, stilling her fingers.

"And I would do it all over again," I whispered as I brushed her cheek gently.

Sasha was glad that Leon and Tres left the two of them alone. She had some questions for Abel, and she didn't want to bring up the name of Missa in front of Leon. She remembered how angry or sad he sounded whenever that name came up. She hadn't been totally unconscious for the two days between the start and end of her transformation. She had heard Leon and Abel yelling at each other, saying she wasn't Missa and Missa was dead.

"May I ask you something? Who is Missa?"

_My mind paused for a moment as I pushed my glasses up higher on my nose. I was glad that she waited until Leon was gone to ask this._

"Missa was Leon 's daughter. I say was because just a year ago he received word that she was dead. He had not seen her since she was a toddler, and now he will never see her again. Missa would have been about your age if she was still alive. So I guess, in a way, Leon sees a piece of the daughter he lost in you- which is why he was and is so defensive of you and so careful with you. He wants to protect you."

Sasha nodded slowly as she thought this over. She wanted to ask him why Leon had not seen her in so many years, but something told her that would have to wait till she asked Leon himself- if that opportunity ever came. There was another question though she wanted to ask. Looking at Abel, her eyes drifted down to his hands.

"I... I didn't hurt you did I?"

Sasha knew what had happened when she had awakened, she knew what Leon and Abel had done- they saw no need to keep or hide anything from her.

I waved my hands in front of my face and laughed nervously.

"No! No, I'm fine! Fit as a fiddle."

Sasha smiled back, wondering if he had ever used that phrase with Tres. She almost giggled, imagining Tres's response. Her face fell as her eyes saw the bite marks on Abel's wrists.

"I don't think I should come with you. I'll only slow you down and make it easier for this Cain to find you."

"Well that is your choice of course Sasha, and we wont force you one way or the other," I said softly. "But I hope you would reconsider and come with us... I know I hope you would. And as far as Cain finding us, at this point and time, that might be our best option...right now all we do is chance after him, finding only the destruction left in his wake. But seriously Sasha, please think about it- we would love to have you accompany us."

_Sasha gave a soft smile and nodded slowly. She was about to say something when the door opened and Leon rushed in. _

"Abel! You will never guess who we found!"

_I looked at him questioningly as my face changed to one of happy surprise as I stared at the blond haired man standing before him. _

"Hugue!" I exclaimed as jumped to my feet.

_Hugue stood in the doorway. He hadn't changed very much, although I could see a little gray in the long blonde hair. Hugue wore a white shirt, open to his navel, with tight black pants. He had a black wool traveling cloak covering him and the hood was pushed back. Abel could see more scars on Hugue's chest and he had a new one on his face. It went from the corner of his right eye, crossed his cheek and ended at his chin. Hugue's AX name had been "Sword Dancer" and by the look of him, Hugue had more than earned that name. The person who had given Hugue that scar, probably died soon after inflicting the scar. His eyes were wary, with dark circles under them. His eyes fell on Sasha on the bed. She gave him a small smile, but he didn't smile back; instead, his eyes narrowed and his hand went to the hilt of his sword.  
_ "Why is she here? She's a Methuselah, is she not?" His voice, which had once been soft and melodious, was hard.

"Now, now Hugue" I said as I stepped in front of my friend. "This is Sasha, she has been with us for several days now... It's alright."

Hugue stared at me with those piercing eyes and lowered his voice.

"Need I remind you Father that it was Methuselah's who killed my family and had their fun with me before they tried to kill me as well? We are the last of the AX and we swore to destroy evil...that is our duty Abel."

"Hugue, you should know as much as any of us that what group or cast you are born into does not make you good or evil. Your family was one of the richest and most powerful, yet they were kind caring people. Their wealth did not make them evil... it was the way they chose to live their lives that made them who they were. It is the same for all of us- Terran or Methuselah."

Hugue's eyes burned as he listened to Abel. He liked Abel, but he hated this soft side of him. Tension filled the small cabin and Sasha felt like she couldn't breathe and pushed past Abel and Leon. She ran out the door, hoping to get past this tall, angry man, but he was too quick for her.

"Where are you going? Back to your friends, to let them know where we are? So they can kill us?"

His grip was painful and she tried to pull away; she was afraid of this man. Leon growled at Hugue.

"Let go of her, Hugue! She's all alone. We found her in a burnt out village and brought her back here. We didn't know she was a Methuselah when we found her, but that doesn't matter now."

Leon tried to pry Hugue's fingers from Sasha's arm.

"Damn it! Stop this before you hurt her!"

He finally got Hugue to let her go and Leon wrapped his arms around Sasha. She was trembling, trying not to cry.

"Come on, Sasha. Let's go and get you away from this bastard for a while." Leon led her out the door, turning around before he left. "You try that again Hugue and you'll deal with me."

Hugue glared at Leon as he pulled the girl away. He stared after them as the door closed.

"I will never understand him" Hugue said as he turned to face me. "But you still have some explaining to do Father Abel. Why have you taken a Methuselah under the protection of the Vatican… not that the Vatican even exists still. Why are you protecting her and even more importantly, why are you trusting her? She could turn on you at any moment! Has Leon considered the fact that one minute she may be clinging to him for protection and the next she is trying to feed off him? Have you considered the fact that you might have to kill this girl you all seem so attached to?"

Hugue ran his hands over the hilt of his sword as he turned away from Abel.

"I always knew you were an odd one... but I never thought you would be crazy enough to do something like this... Father."

_I let out a heavy sigh, it was time to tell Hugue the truth and I wasn't sure how he would take it. Hugue's hatred for Methuselah was well known and once he found out the truth about me, who knew what he would do. _

"Hugue, sit down. I have something to tell you."

_Hugue looked wary but took a seat at the desk as he waited for me to speak. _

"Do you know the legend of the Crusnik? How the Vatican kept one for their use?" Hugue nodded slowly. "I am that Crusnik."

Hugue's eyes grew wide. "Are you joking with me? This is not funny, Abel."

"It's no joke, my friend. I am a Crusnik, and Cain is my brother. I was once like him, hating the Terrans but after a long time, I came to see that this was not the way for peace." Hugue couldn't speak. "If a Methuselah feeds off a Crusnik, their thirst for blood ceases to exist. I let Sasha feed off of me." Hugue's mind reeled with images of Abel, letting Sasha drink his blood.

Hugue shook his head.

"I don't believe it. Even if you are a Crusnik... why would you do something like that? Why would you let her feed off of you? Why would you basically allow her to keep on living?"

"Hugue, I know how hard this has to be for you- having lost your family to the Methuselah's, but surely you must agree and somewhere deep inside you know that being born a Methuselah does not make you evil. I let Sasha feed off me because I believe she is not one that we need to fear. I have killed many a vampire in my years, most at the bidding of the Vatican, i know evil- I can sense it, almost taste and smell it. Sasha is not like that Hugue. If you could just see past the hate and pain you hold against them, you would be able to see that. I know you do not believe in total peaceful co-existence the way the rest of us do, and I can understand that. But can you not give Sasha a chance to prove herself to you?"

Hugue was silent, he was thinking this through. He couldn't believe Abel had kept his true form from him all these years, but Hugue couldn't blame him. It was hard to think of him of anything but a bumbling, good hearted priest.

"I will give her a chance. But Abel, one wrong move from her and I will strike."

"You notice Leon is very protective of her. She looks like Missa, his daughter, who was killed last year. I would tread carefully around him. He's having a hard time with his daughter's death and he's become unbelievably attached to Sasha."

Hugue nodded. Leon was one man who could best him in a fight. The man fought dirty, but so could Hugue. He would wait and judge Sasha in a few days.

While the two men were outside talking things over, trying to reach an agreement or understanding, Leon was walking with Sasha a little ways away from the small cabin. Leon knew the dangers of wandering too far but he needed to be out and he could tell Sasha was grateful as well- she had not been out of the cabin since they day they had rescued her. They walked along together towards the edge of the nearby woods where Leon always hunted for their food. At first Sasha had just followed him, leaning against him as she fought back the tears. When they had reached the edge of the woods, Leon stopped. She didn't move or look up, she just sighed softly as she felt his strong arms wrap around her gently. Her shoulders were trembling as she fought to hold back the tears. She heard what Hugue had said about his family being killed by vampires, and how much he hated them. He looked at her the same as those who had killed his loved ones, and maybe she was no different. Father Abel had made such a sacrifice for her but for what? Even Leon, this man who held her now and had stood up for her as if she was something valuable, even Leon had made sacrifices for her... and Sasha feared that it would be in vain.

"Leon... I'm scared" she whispered softly as she clung to the edge of his coat lightly.

He put his arms around her shoulders.

"Don't worry about Hugue. He's more bark than bite, unlike me."

He pulled her away from him so she could see his grin. She gave him a trembling smile.

"I used to call myself, the Vatican's big bad wolf!"

She laughed a little sd Leon searched her face. Something was bothering her.

"We're probably leaving tomorrow to find a new hideout. Are you up to it? If you need another day to rest, just tell us. We can wait another day or two."

Sasha looked up and him and shook her head.

"No.. I'm fine... I think I'm ready to be moving on myself. "

She looked down at the ground a moment. There was something she wanted to ask Leon but she was afraid to. It wasn't that she was afraid of him- she trusted this man a great deal, as she also trusted Father Abel. No, she was afraid of asking because she didn't want to hurt him. Still, she wanted to know... she needed to know. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Leon, her bright eyes meeting his dark ones.

"Leon I... I've wanted to ask you something."

"Go one Sasha, what is it?" he said softly as he put a finger under her chin and smiled reassuringly at her.

"Why... why did you rescue me? Father Abel told me it was you who found me and cared for the that first day you all rescued me. I know you stayed by my side during my transformation to what I am now... and even now you look at me like I am something, some treasure to be protected. Why?"

She looked up at him with pleading eyes. She didn't want to hurt him by making him think of his daughter, but she had to know what and how he felt.

"You talk like you're nothing important to anybody. Why?"

"Because that's what I am, a nobody. My family didn't want me because I was a girl. Only my brother's were important." Anger and hurt crept into her voice. "I was sickly for the first few years of my life and my family was ashamed of me. They only valued strength and brawn in the fight in the war against Terrans. I was a daydreamer, always looking out the window and drawing pictures of flowers or animals."

Leon couldn't believe it. He had so longed for his daughter in the dreary dank prison for those long painful years, and he would have loved a crayon drawing from his daughter.

"My brothers were killed and my mother turned her rage towards me. I left soon after and I was on my way to a relative's house. I stopped in the village you found me in, when it was attacked."

She shuddered, the memories of that attack still fresh in her mind. Leon gently put his arm around her.

"I'm sure Father Abel has mentioned my daughter, Missa to you?"

Sasha nodded her head, she knew a little about Missa but not much.

"The last time i saw my daughter she couldn't have been more than 3 years old. I never saw her after that- I spent the remaining years in prison doomed to serve a life sentence for the crimes I had committed. Father Abel found me there a few years after I had been sentenced and worked it out where with each mission I aided him in- 20 years were taken off my life sentence. That is how I came to know Abel, Tres, Hugue and the other members of our team who are not all dead. "

Leon fell silent a moment as the memories flooded his mind. Taking a deep breath he continued.

"I received a letter a year ago that said my Missa was dead. When we found you... I guess at first, I saw Missa when I looked at you, the daughter i was never able to hold and protect, I now could. I say 'at first' because it is different now."

Sasha hung her head, of course if was different now... no one ever cared about her fo very long, she would never be accepted so she might as well just get use to it. She hung her head. Leon looked at her and gently tilted her head back up to meet his face.

"It is different now because I know you are not Missa. Nothing will ever replace my daughter and I will always regret not being able to do the things I wanted to do for her. But now...I have another daughter in you..." his voice trailed off as he looked into her eyes, hoping she would understand what he was trying to say. "That is, if you will think of me as kind of a father figure?" Leon trailed off.

He was sure Sasha would think he was some sort of pervert who rescued strange women, helped them during their transformation to a Methuselah and seduced them by asking them to think of him as their father. He wanted to bang his head against a tree. His little speech sounded so good in his head but once he got it out of his mouth, he could have happily asked Tres to shoot him' and knowing the damn android, he would. He met Sasha's eyes and saw tears in them. Oh man, now he did it. Sasha looked at Leon in wonderment. He was serious… he really wanted her around and he wanted to protect her. He didn't think she was worthless or stupid or any of the cruel names her family had called her. He truly cared for her and already thought about her as a daughter.

She hugged him tightly and whispered, "Thank you, Leon."

Leon hugged her back gently and smiled as he put his arm around her and they started walking back to the small cabin, hoping and praying that Hugue had calmed down some.


	6. Questions of Loyalty

After the confrontation between Hugue and Leon, things were quiet in the small cabin. It has been tight before, but with the arrival of Hugue it was down right crowded. Sasha felt guilty for taking the bed again that night, but Abel and Leon insisted and wouldn't let her argue. Hugue didn't say a word to her- in fact he hadn't said anything to anyone ever since Leon and Sasha had returned. He just either stood in the corner opposite Tres, his bladed staff in his hands or he sat in the same corner, still and silent. It was late. Sasha had just dozed off on the bed and Abel was asleep in his normal position at the desk. Tres was in standby mode, needing to recharge his already depleted system. Leon took the watch, assuming everyone was asleep, including Hugue who had not moved for the last hour, and sat still and quiet In the corner, his eyes closed. Leon paced the small open space in the room slowly, his mind wandering. Yes, it was time to move on... they had been here long enough without getting any closer to finding Cain. And now they had Sasha with them and needed to rethink their strategy and plan. Hugue also complicated things... Leon stopped as he faced the bed and looked at Sasha, and leaned over and pulled the thin blanket around her and took off his leather coat and laid it over her as well. He didn't know that a pair of cold eyes was watching him from the corner. Hugue was angry, but he dared not to show it. It would be three against one and he didn't think he could take them all on at once. He shifted into a more comfortable position on the floor. The noise caught Leon's attention. Not looking up from Sasha, he spoke to Hugue.

"You're pissed that Abel didn't have to kill her, aren't you?"

Hugue didn't answer. Leon turned around to look at the blonde man.

"Must really tick you off that you didn't get to watch Abel slice off her head. Or were you hoping to be the one to do it?"

Hugue's eyes burned with rage. Leon knew just what to say to irritate him. They never had any missions together in the past and that was probably a good thing. One of them wouldn't have come back alive.

"She's a damn Methuselah, Leon," Hugue stated quietly, his smooth voice tense with anger.

"Really? I must have missed that...when I was holding her for hours while she died and was reborn in my arms!" Leon stalked over to Hugue, towering over him. Huge smoothly stood up and faced Leon.

Sasha lay trembling under the covers. She woke up when Leon yelled at Hugue. She wanted to say something to Leon but she was afraid of Hugue and what his reaction would be to her.

Hugue and Leon stood, almost toe to toe, eye to eye- both men were almost the same height. Leon was taller and stronger, but Hugue had unnatural strength and speed on his side in a fight. Sasha lay still and silent on the bed and listened to the men.

"I cannot believe you, of all people Leon, could be so weak! How many of her kind have you killed with those hands? Did you tell her about the Methuselah's who have died at your bidding? Does she know how you chocked the life out of some with those same hands that evidently held her so carefully. Does she know Leon!?"

Hugue's eyes were blazing and he was fighting to keep his voice down as much as he could. Leon's hands were clenched into fists at his sides as he resisted the urge to lay into Hugue.

"Shut up Hugue…" he said bitterly through clenched teeth. "Shut... up."

Leon's big hands clenched and unclenched, as if they were unsure whether or not to grab Hugue's neck and choke the life out of him. Leon was always a bit jealous of Hugue. Hugue was a noble by birth and carried himself as if he was better than everyone else. Leon was a gruff, decorated soldier. They had both been searching for loved ones- Hugue for his sister and Leon for his daughter. The two men were a lot alike in many ways and maybe that was why they didn't get along.

"I haven't told Sasha about my past and it's none of your business if I choose to or not!"

Leon's jaw was beginning to ache from keeping it clenched. He forced himself to relax. Hugue wouldn't dare try to hurt Sasha with all of them here. He glared at the man and turned to walk away. Stopping, he turned back and faced Hugue.

"I promise you Hugue... you do anything to hurt Sasha.. anything at all... and I will make you suffer like you never have before."

Leon turned and walked back to the bed and took his spot along the wall and took his watch. He breathed a silent sigh of relief, Hugue was out of his life of vision- at least they wouldn't be staring at each other all night. He glanced at Sasha- she still seemed to be asleep.

The hours passed slowly, Leon's mind was racing. Hugue had a point, he couldn't deny it. He had told Sasha very little about himself and his past... she deserved to know, Leon just didn't know if he could bring himself to tell her the horrors of what he had done. Leon was snapped out of his semi trace by a hand on his shoulder. It was heavy and cold and he knew who it was before the low monotone voice spoke.

"Leon Garcia de Asturias- it is my time to take watch now."

Leon turned his head and looked at Tres then looked past the android to where Hugue was.

"Father Hugue has been at rest for the last 3.4 hours" Tres said simply. Leon nodded as he stepped away from the wall and made his way over to the bed. Sitting on the edge he leaned back against the wall, his head against the cold plaster.

_I had awakened at the sound of Tres's voice. I knew it wasn't my turn to take watch but I couldn't sleep any more. I stared across the dark room at the faces of Leon and Hugue. Hugue's looked the same, cold and emotionless. Leon's face looked tense. I had to wondered what had happened while I was asleep to make Leon look like that. Taking off his glasses, I wiped the sleep from his eyes. Morning was still far off. _

"I'm going to the river to wash up, Tres."

"Acknowledged, Father Nightroad. Please be careful not to fall in the river."

I felt my face grow red, as I remembered what Tres was talking about.

"It was one time, Tres!" I whispered loudly, so not to wake the others. "Are you ever going to let me forget about it?"

_Tres raised an eyebrow at me. Even though Tres was functioning at only 70, it was obvious he was still learning and processing new information… and picking up bad habits. Like how Leon always raised his right eyebrow when he didn't believe something I said._

"I'll be back in a bit. Don't worry about me", I said before Tres could say anything else.

"If I run into anything, I'll just turn into Crusnik form!"

_I gave Tres a big smile and left the hideout before he could give me a lecture about the proper time to use the Crusnik form._

Slowly Abel made his way down to the river. Taking great care not to fall in, he splashed the icy cold water on his face and back of his neck. His long silver hair dropped down from his shoulders, ends soaking up the cold water as well. Slinging his hair back he stood, now quite awake. Abel took this time to look around- they needed to head out as soon as possible. He wanted to head back to Rome- back to Vatican. It was by no means the safe haven it had once been, but it was still safer for them than being in the middle of the wilds like this. They were open easy targets here. In Rome they could hide- each of them knew every inch of that city- and they still had some who supported them and believed in peace there. Yes, they had to get back to Rome. Abel pondered over different plans and scenarios in his mind as he walked down stream some, enjoying the cool night air. Judging by the stars and the almost unnoticeable tinge of light to the east, he figured it was a little after 4am. He hoped to be on the move within the next three hours- they had to make good time if they hoped to avoid any confrontations. Abel thought to himself that it was odd- there had been no direct attacks from the vampires in weeks... He would have found that thought very Ironic if he had seen the shadowy figure watching him from the darkness on the opposite bank and if he had known that Tres had just been alerted by his sensors that there was another Methuselah besides Sasha in the area.

She watched Abel from the shadows. She was hungry… she hadn't tasted blood for a long time and he looked like a stupid Terran to her. Her clothes were torn and she wore nothing on her feet. Her hair was long and unclean with snarls in it. Her hands shook as she moved from tree to tree, her bare feet making no noise as she snuck up on Abel. Abel hummed a tune he had heard long ago, his mind drifting to Sasha. She was a beauty and Abel blushed at that thought. His feet shuffled though fallen leaves and his hands were in his pockets. Sasha's haunted eyes swam before his face. There was just something about her… He hadn't had these kind of thoughts about a woman in a long, long time, not since Lilith had died. He didn't deny he had been a bit attracted to Esther when he'd first met her, but their paths went different ways after the final battle. She was in hiding and he hadn't seen her in years.

Abel stopped and leaned against one of the trees slightly as he thought about Sasha. So pure and so gentle- a rare gem in the dark wicked world they all found themselves in now. He knew how she felt- to be different, to be called a monster, to be judged on appearance and race alone... and he sighed softly. Father Abel was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the soft crunch of bare feet on frosted grass as the vampire crept closer still, stalking up behind him. It wasn't until he heard the soft laugh that he spun around, just in time to get hit in the chest and sent sailing through the air, crashing into a nearby oak tree. Pushing himself up, in a daze, he looked at the woman before him. She was tall and thin and he could clearly see the fangs as she smiled wickedly.

"Stupid Terran- you should have known better than to wander alone at night in a place like this" she said as she glided over to Abel, grabbed a handful of his hair, and slung him hard, sending him skidding across the ground and, into the icy water of the river.

Abel let out a loud gasp as he went in the freezing water. He was glad he didn't have his old AX uniform on. It was heavy and he would have sunk right to the bottom. Abel clawed his way up on the bank of the river, pushing his long silver hair out of his face.

"W...who are you?" he asked the woman through chattering teeth.

She ran towards him, teeth bared as she laughed. Abel couldn't move his legs properly. They were so damn cold! He felt sluggish and stupid; he couldn't think properly so he did the first thing that came to his mind. He lowered his head and slammed his body into hers. He knocked them both to the ground and Abel lay on top of her, trying to catch his breath. A weird thought went through his mind of how warm she was and maybe they could continue the fight when he was a little warmer. She hissed at him and he guessed she wouldn't be agreeing to it if he suggested it.

"Get off me you filthy Terran scum!" she shouted as she kicked him off and sprang to her feet.

She stood there sneering at him as her nails turned into long razor sharp claws. She licked her lips as she looked at Abel, like a cat staring down a cornered mouse before striking.

"I haven't tasted Terran blood in a long time... you will be quite the feats! My name is Linara by he way."

She lunged at him, yet somehow Abel managed to dodge as five razor sharp claws flashed inches from his face. Abel backed up, his legs still not wanting to cooperate with him fully. He staggered until his back hit one of the trees. Linara took that moment at hurled herself at Abel, the claws of her right hand sinking into the trunk of the tree as Abel tried to dodge, but her left hand hit home, driving into his shoulder, partially pinning him to the tree. Abel gasped hard as he cried out in pain.

"Weak Terran!" she spat at him. "You are a pathetic race... you are like cattle, just waiting to be slaughtered!"

Abel forced his eyes opened against the pain and looked at Linara. He was about to say something but stopped - there, on her chest, was the familiar red dot of a laser.

"Remove your hand from Father Abel. Step back and I will not have to shoot you."

Linara growled at Tres and sank her claws deeper into Abel's shoulder. Her head moved towards Abel's neck and Tres shifted his aim from her chest, to her head. A blur went by Tres, making Abel jump. He had heard about how fast Hugue was but he had never seen it. Linara only had enough to barely turn her head before it left her body. Hugue had sliced it clean off, not even getting a scratch on Abel, even though Linara was only inches from his body. Abel's mouth dropped open as he looked down his bloody' clothes to the decapitated body before him- the blood soaking into the ground. His eyes rolled back in his head as he fainted. Tres lowered his gun and picked up Abel, as if he weighed nothing and the three of them made their way back to the cabin.

Leon of course had stayed behind with Sasha when Tres alerted them of the other vampire's presence. When Tres had started off towards the river after Abel, Hugue was right there with him, ignoring Leon's words about staying and letting Tres handle it. Leon sprang to his feet as the door opened and he saw Tres walk in, carrying the limp Abel. Sasha scrambled off the bed as they walked over and laid Abel down, as gently as they could. Leon took quick assessment of the situation- Abel wasn't dead just injured. He relaxed a little- Abel had survived worst. As Sasha, who was after all a semi gifted healer started tending to Abel, Leon turned and looked at Hugue. The man's hands were covered in blood and he had that look on his face. Leon turned his head away, unable to look at Leon.

"Tres, what happened?"

"Father Abel was ambushed by a Methuselah. I was about to terminate her when Father Hugue intervened," Tres said simply as he stood at the foot of the bed.

Sasha looked up at Tres. "Why is he wet?"

"I got pushed into the water." Abel's voice was faint as he forced his eyes open and looked at Tres."I didn't fall in, if that's what you're thinking."

Abel closed his eyes again and Sasha let out a little giggle. She didn't think it was possible, but Tres had a look of total surprise on his face. Leon let out a snort of laughter and even Hugue had a slight smile on his face. Hugue watched Sasha as she tended to Abel. She was very gentle and seemed to genuinely care for the man. He was confused about Sasha.

Leon took a step closer to Hugue and said simply "Shes not a bad as you think Hugue, give her a chance."

Hugue and Leon looked at each other a minute. Hugue was about to say something when Sasha called out for Leon's help. Hugue watched from a distance as Sasha badgered Abel's shoulder with Leon's help.

"Departure has been delayed 24 hours," Tres said simply from his position at the wall.

"No.." Abel groaned as she tried to sit up. "We have to get going... we can't... we can't wait any long. It's getting too dangerous here."

Hugue remained silent, his mouth pressed into a thin line. Glancing down at his blood stained hands he went outside and back to the river. They had already disposed of the body so that was done. Kneeling at the edge of the river he washed his hands, scrubbing away the red stains. As he stood he stared at his hands and thought bitterly "I will never trust a Methuselah."

Abel fought against the hands that were holding him down. Leon bonked Abel on the head with his large fist, just hard enough to get his attention.

"Watch it, Abel! Sasha is trying to get you healed so we can get out of this place. The more you fight her, the longer it takes and the longer we have to stay here."

Abel fell back on the bed, resigned. Sasha finally finished cleaning and dressing his wound and Abel rolled off the bed.

"We have to get out of here. Where's there is one Methuselah, there's probably more."

Abel buttoned his shirt and went to get his cloak. He started throwing the others their cloaks in a kind of a frenzy. Sasha went up to Abel. She laid a hand on his shoulder and he turned around to face her. He had a haunted look in his eyes. Sasha looked into those blue-grey eyes and stared in wonder. There was such a mix of emotions visible in those eyes. She couldn't believe it but it was as if Abel, the Crusnik himself, was actually afraid. Gently she faced him and put both hands on his shoulders and looked at him,. her eyes looking into his.

"Father" she said softly "What are you afraid of?"

Abel was silent a moment and then he spoke, his voice and low and soft.

"I.. I'm afraid for you Sasha. I couldn't... bear it if anything... happened to you now."

The two looked at each other for a long moment.

"I cant stay here... I cant just sit here and wait for whatever is going to happen... I cant. Sasha please, you have to understand."

Sasha didn't know what drew her to this gentle man but she gave in to her feelings. She put her arms around him and hugged him, her head nestled into his chest. Abel didn't know if it was the experiences they shared that made him feel this way towards her, but he surprised himself by hugging her back. They stayed that way for a bit, just giving comfort to each other. Leon watched from the corner of the room, a small smile on his face. Tres's internal computer filed away new data on the couple. Leon pushed his body away from the wall and put his hand on Abel's shoulder.

"You two just can't stand here hugging all day. Let's get moving while we have daylight."

He patted Abel's shoulder and went to the bed, getting his leather jacket and shrugging it on. He went out to find Hugue to tell him they were leaving.

As Sasha and Abel gathered and packed up the few things they had to take with them, Leon headed down to the river, looking for Hugue. He smiled as he thought of Abel and Sasha. "lucky girl to have two guys looking out for her" he thought to himself. As Leon reached the river he saw Hugue standing by the edge just staring across the banks.

"Aye, Hugue! We are heading out. Abel and Tres are taking us back to Rome, back to the Vatican. We are heading out now."

Hugue didn't make any sign that he heard Leon.

"Hey Hugue, did you hear me?"

Leon walked closer and stood a few feet away. Hugue took a breath, still not looking at Leon.

"I suppose she is coming with us?" he spat out.

"If by she you mean Sasha then yes. Sasha is coming. She is the main reason Abel wants us to get to the safety of Rome as soon as we can."

"She is the reason..." Hugue turned and faced Leon, his eyes dark.

Leon's face darkened in anger. "She is the reason, what? Spill it, Hugue!" Leon grabbed the front of Hugue's cloak, bringing the blonde man closer to him. "I'm sick and tired of hearing you spout this shit about Sasha being a Methuselah!"

"She is the reason for your daughter's death."

Hugue spoke low, so low that at first, Leon thought he didn't hear him right. Sasha, responsible for Missa's death? That was impossible. Missa died over a year ago. But, no one knew where Sasha was a year ago, or how she felt about humans at that time. Leon dropped his grip on Hugue's cloak in shock. He stumbled backwards, away from Hugue and then turned and ran back to the cabin. Hugue almost hated himself as he watched Leon run… but if a little lie saved his life, it would be worth it.

Leon's vision was blurred as he ran up the small embankment and towards the cabin. He slowed to a walk as he got close. He saw Tres standing a little ways out, scanning the area before them as Abel was pulling on the cloak, Sasha helping him get his injured arm through the sleeve. Sasha... Leon stared at her as Hugue's voice echoed in his ears. "She is the reason for your daughter's death." Leon shook his head. Abel and Sasha looked up just then and saw him.

"Leon did you find Hugue?" "Yeah Abel... he's coming..."

Leon forced his feet to continue up the hill. He heard Hugue coming up behind him. He wouldn't let his eyes meet Sasha's as they started on their way. Tres took the lead of course, followed by Abel and Sasha, then Hugue and Leon brought up the rear. His mind was in turmoil he felt sick, dizzy, and confused. Sasha couldn't have been the one that killed Missa... there was no proof that Sasha hated Terrans- she was nice enough to them. And the letter had never said Missa was killed by vampires, just that she died in one of the attacks on the city she was in... "It wasn't Missa..." he thought as he bore holes into Hugue's back as they walked. Yet at the same time his mind kept asking him how he could be sure it wasnt Sasha.


End file.
